Device and method for examining and/or treating and eye

ABSTRACT

A device for examining/treating an eye has a base body and an attachment body, which can be combined and applied to the eye. A gel-type liquid is introduced between the two bodies so that the indices can be matched. The interior of the attachment body is provided with a large number of protuberances, ensuring a minimum distance is maintained between the two bodies, allowing air or excess liquid to escape between the two bodies to escape. Only the attachment body, a disposable item producible from cheap materials, needs to be sterilized and a single sterilization is integrated into the production process. The base only needs to be disinfected. This division of the device also allows a large number of base bodies with different configurations to be used with one single attachment body or a large number of attachment bodies with different configurations to be used with one single base body.

This application is the national phase under 35 U.S.C. 371 of PCTInternational Application No. PCT/CH01/00669 which has an Internationalfiling date of Nov. 15, 2001, which designated the United States ofAmerica.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a device for examining and/or treating an eye,it being intended to be placed on the eye.

PRIOR ART

The prior art discloses various devices for examining and/or treatingeyes that are placed directly on the eye in order to examine and/ortreat the latter. For the sake of simplicity, the term examination is tobe understood below as an appropriate treatment of the eye as well, ineach case.

Such devices for examining eyes include, for example, so-called contactglasses which permit examination or treatment of the fundus of the eyeor other regions in the interior of the eye through the pupil of theeye. However, this may also include other devices such as, for example,tonometers, which can be brought directly into contact with the eye forthe purpose of eye pressure measurement.

Such devices are produced and marketed in many different variants. Forexample, there are various sizes for contact glasses for adults orchildren. Depending on the application desired, they can also have oneor more, laterally arranged mirrors with the aid of which peripheralregions of the interior of the eye can be examined which would not bevisible without mirrors. Furthermore, there are also contact glasseswhich, in that region which is brought into contact with the eye, have aso-called scleral ring that rests on the eye in the examination positionin such a way that it is covered by the eyelids and held by the latteron the eye.

The known devices have the disadvantage that, firstly, differentembodiments of the device need to be held ready for variousexaminations. Also, in order to prevent the eye being contaminatedduring the examination and thus also increasing the risk of infections,the devices must, secondly, be disinfected and/or sterilized before eachuse. However, this is wear phenomena, for which reason the devices mustbe replaced from time to time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to specify a device of the typementioned that avoids the disadvantages of the devices known from theprior art and prevent a transmission of infections or irritatingelements in a simple way. A cost effective and simple possibility forexamining eyes should in particular also be provided.

The achievement of the object is defined by the features of claim 1. Inaccordance with the invention, the device for examining and/or treatingan eye, which is intended to be placed on the eye, has a base body andan attachment body that can be combined with the base body, the devicefor examining and/or treating the eye being intended to be placed withthe attachment body on the eye.

This division of the device into a base body and an attachment body hasmany advantages. Thus, the base body can optionally be provided with,for example, particular optical elements for examining eyes such as oneor more mirrors, or with specific lens arrangements. A large part of themechanical and/or optical complexity therefore resides in the base body.

The attachment body therefore requires no optically active elements, buttypically consists only of a thin layer of optically transparentmaterial. It can be produced in large quantities in a simple and costeffective way. It can, on the one hand, be designed as a disposablearticle to be used once or a few times. On the other hand, it can bedesigned for repeated use, also being capable of replacement by a newone in a cost effective way if, for example, wear has become too greatas a consequence of disinfection or sterilization. However, it is to beensured that in that region which comes into contact with the eye theattachment body is designed such that the eye is not injured. Thus, forexample, that surface of the attachment with which it is placed on theeye should not have any ridges or edges, but rather be of smooth designand be adapted to the surface of the eye.

It is possible furthermore, for example, for different attachment bodiesto be attached to one and the same base body. This renders variousexaminations possible in a cost effective way, something for which theprior art requires various devices, which are expensive in each case.

Of course, it is also possible conversely to use a single attachmentbody or a single type of attachment body together with various basebodies, it thereby being possible to cover further variant devices.

By combining a few variants of attachment bodies with a few variants ofbase bodies, it is possible in practice to combine all variant devices,and this permits a multifarious and yet simple and cost effectiveexamination of eyes.

The external form of the base body can be arbitrary in principle.However, it typically has a plane surface on one side, through which theeye can be examined. Furthermore, the base body preferably has a contactsurface that is typically located opposite the plane surface. Thiscontact surface can be both plane and optionally convex or concave, orbe of arbitrary shape within specific limits.

The attachment body is preferably provided with a further contactsurface, which is designed with substantially the same shape as thecontact surface of the base body, the two contact surfaces beingsituated substantially parallel to one another when the device iscombined. Of the same shape means, in essence, that the contact surfacesare not identical, but are designed in such a way that they haveapproximately the same shape and approximately the same size so thatthey can be brought into contact with one another. The two contactsurfaces are designed, for example, in a plane fashion in the shape of apolygon with approximately the same side ratios and areas, or they areboth round and have approximately the same diameter. If, by contrast,the contact surface of the base body has a camber inward or outward, thecontact surface of the attachment body is provided with a correspondingcamber outward or inward, respectively.

Parallel means, in essence, that plane contact surfaces come to besituated in parallel planes, and that in the case of cambered contactsurfaces the camber of the attachment body corresponds approximately tothe inverse camber of the base body so that they can be set one insideanother, as it were. However, the radii of curvature of the cambers cancertainly be slightly different such that the contact surfaces touch oneanother only at individual points. Interspaces, possibly filled withair, result in this way between the contact surfaces.

However, such interspaces have a disturbing effect during examination ofthe eye, since at such interfaces from a solid body to air and viceversa light beams are subjected to strong optical interference such asdiffraction, reflection and scattering. In order to avoid or to reducesuch interference, an optically transparent, deformable intermediatematerial is now preferably introduced during combination of the devicebetween the base body and the attachment body. This material is, forexample, of gel-type or flowable design. It is also possible only to useelastically or plastically deformable material. The material is merelyto be deformable in such a way that upon combination it lies snuglyagainst the contact surfaces, the contact surfaces being shaped in sucha way that upon combination no air bubbles, and/or only a few or smallones are enclosed. Use is made for the intermediate material of amaterial whose refractive index corresponds approximately to therefractive index of base body and attachment body. The more preciselythe refractive indices of base body, attachment body and deformablematerial correspond, the lesser is the resulting interference. It ispossible thereby for the contact surfaces to be produced with a lowoptical quality, and thus cost effectively. Expensive grinding and/orother coating operations such as, for example, antireflection coating,as are required in the production of optical surfaces of high quality,are eliminated.

Introducing this deformable material between the base body andattachment body has yet a further advantage: owing to theadhesion-induced adhesive forces between the deformable material andbase body, on the one hand, and the deformable material and theattachment body, on the other hand, the base body and the attachmentbody remain stuck to one another without the action of other, externalforces. That is to say, depending on the design of the two bodies, forexample given an attachment body of low weight, it is not necessary toprovide additional connecting means between base body and attachmentbody. For the purpose of examining the eye by a user who grips the basebody of the combined device in order to position the latter on the eye,the adhesive forces produced by the adhesion of the deformable materialwith the contact surfaces of base body and attachment body suffice tohold the attachment body on the base body.

In order, for example, to examine the chamber angle or other peripheralregions of the fundus of the eye using known devices, use is made, forexample, of a contact glass that is not of symmetrical construction buthas a mirror on one side. By looking into such a contact glass placed onan eye, it is possible to examine the chamber angle via the mirrorfitted laterally at the correct angle. In order to be able to examinethe peripheral region of the eye completely, the contact glass must berotated, not being removed from the eye of the patient in the process.In known devices of the prior art, there is an increased risk of injuryin this case. For example, the cornea of the eye can be damaged, or aneyelash trapped between cornea and contact glass can be torn out. Suchirritation is, furthermore, extremely unpleasant for the patient.

In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, thebase body and the attachment body are designed in such a way that theycan be rotated relative to one another in the combined state. This is tosay, if the aim is to examine peripheral regions of an eye completely,it is possible in a way similar to the contact glass of the prior art touse a base body with an appropriate mirror. The latter is combined witha suitable attachment body to form the device, and the device is placedwith the attachment body on the eye to be examined. By now rotating thebase body relative to the attachment body, in particular about theoptical axis of the two bodies, it is possible to examine the peripheralregions completely without corotating the attachment body in theprocess. The attachment body, which is the only part of the device tomake contact with the eye, is thereby not moved.

In a possible embodiment of the device, both the base body and theattachment body are designed in a rotationally symmetrical fashion. Thebase body has, for example, the shape of a cone with apex cut off, andthe attachment body has the shape of a funnel with a flattened base, thecontact surface of the base body being located outside in the region ofthe flattened apex, and the contact surface of the attachment body beinglocated on the inside of the flattened funnel base. The dimensions ofthe base body and attachment body are selected in this case in such away that the base body can be inserted into the funnel and the contactbetween the contact surfaces can be produced in this way.

So that a certain minimum spacing is preserved between the base body andthe attachment body outside the contact surfaces, that is to say, forexample, in the region of the outer walls of the base body and the sidewalls of the funnel, either the base body itself or the attachment bodyhas distancing elements, for example a plurality of protuberances,outside the respective contact surface. These can be designed, forexample, in the shape of a plurality of knobs, in the form of webs,running in an elongated fashion, of the type of a comb, or in the formof two-dimensional protuberances.

A further, preferred embodiment of the invention is designed in such away that when it is combined and placed on the patient's eye to beexamined, the patient comes into contact only with the attachment body.That is to say, the eye itself, as well as the patient's eyelids oreyelashes, do not come into contact with the base body, assumingappropriate manipulation.

Since it does not come into direct contact with the eye or the patient,the base body need only be disinfected after use, but not sterilized.For this reason, it can be produced from materials such as, for example,plastic that are not only more cost effective, but which are alsocorrespondingly easier to process than glass, for example.

In the case of the abovementioned funnel-shaped design of the attachmentbody, the funnel edge is, for example, so wide that the base body can beexcluded from touching the eye and/or an eyelid or the eyelashes.

As already mentioned, the base body and attachment body can be designedin such a way that they adhere to one another after combination since,for example, their surfaces are designed in such a way, or thedeformable material is located between the surfaces in such a way, thatthe adhesion forces suffice to hold them together. In a further,preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention forexamining eyes, the base body and attachment body are designed in such away that they are held together by a detachable, positive and/ornon-positive connection. It is possible to conceive, for example, ascrew connection, a type of toggle closure, a latching mechanism forproducing a click-type connection, or another, arbitrary type ofconnection.

The use of a disconnectable connection between the base body andattachment body ensures that the attachment body can be removed from thebase body after use, that is to say after the examination of an eye. Itcan, for example, be discarded thereafter, or is made from a materialthat permits sterilization of the attachment body, for example with theaid of an autoclave.

As already mentioned, the base body is designed in such a way that itpermits an ophthalmological, in particular an optical examination of theeye. For example, it is produced from an optically transparent materialthrough which light beams can pass both into the eye and out of the eye.In order to keep extraneous light away or to reduce interferingreflections at the lateral boundary surfaces, the latter can, forexample, be colored dark or be coated with an appropriate material.

In order to examine the lateral regions of the fundus of the eye or ofthe chamber angle, the base body preferably has one or a plurality ofmirrors. The mirrors are placed in this case in such a way that the viewto the central fundus of the eye remains open. Each mirror further has aspecific angle of inclination that permits a very specific region of theinterior of the eye to be examined. Where there are a plurality ofmirrors, the mirrors usually all have a different angle of inclination.

The base and attachment bodies described can, of course, also bedesigned in such a way that they can be used not only to examine butalso to treat an eye, for example with the aid of a laser beam.

As likewise already mentioned, the device for examining the eye isplaced with the attachment body on the eye in each case. Consequently,the attachment body preferably has a touch surface that is substantiallyadapted to a surface region of the eye to be examined. That is to say,the touch surface has a camber that corresponds approximately to thecamber of the cornea of the eye to be examined. The touch surface ismostly situated on [lacuna] side of the attachment body opposite thecontact surface.

In order to examine eyes of different size, as a consequence, differentcambers, for example children's eyes by contrast with adult's eyes,differently cambered attachment bodies can be used with the same basebody.

The shape of the touch surface can virtually be freely selected, a roundshape being preferred. The size of the touch surface can also be freelyselected within certain limits. The lower limit for the size isdetermined, on the one hand, by the quantity of light that is requiredfor the examination and should, on the other hand, also not be selectedso small that there is a risk of injury to the eye. In the case of roundtouch surfaces, the diameter should, for example, also not be selectedlarger than the greatest diameter of the visible part of the eye witheyelids open. The touch surface of typical attachment bodies correspondsapproximately to the size of the iris.

However, there are individuals who, for example, tend to be ratherunsettled, or in whom the spacing of the eyelids with opened eye is lessthan in the case of others. It is difficult with such individuals tohold the device placed on the eye in the correct position without fixingthe eyelids with the aid of appropriate clamps, for example. In order toavoid this procedure, which is unpleasant for the patient, use is madeof attachment bodies whose touch surface is preferably designed in sucha way that it has edge regions that, when placed on the eye, can bepushed at least partially under at least one eyelid of the patient, andthe attachment body is held in this way in the correct position by theeyelid or eyelids. Around the transparent region to be examined, forexample, the touch surface has a type of ring, a so-called scleral ring,which is pushed under the eyelids when the attachment body is placed onthe eye.

In order to ensure the device is manipulated correctly and as simply aspossible, after production the attachment bodies are accommodated,preferably ready for use, in a container for storing or fortransportation. Before this, the attachment bodies are typicallysterilized and individually packed. Suitable for this purpose, forexample, are so-called Blista packages, in the case of which theindividual items are each located in a dedicated chamber of a containerare covered by a film, in each case.

The container is, for example, designed in such a way that it permitsthe attachment body to be attached to the base body without theattachment body being touched by the user. The user firstly removes thefilm from the chamber with the desired attachment body, the sterileattachment body being situated in a special holder. The latter permitsthe user to apply the deformable material for example a gel-type liquidonto the contact surface and subsequently to attach the base body to beused to the attachment body, or to insert it into the latter, and tocombine the device in this way.

Further advantageous embodiments and combinations of features of theinvention emerge from the following detailed description and thetotality of the patent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings used to explain the exemplary embodiment:

FIG. 1 shows a combined contact glass according to the invention forexamining eyes, in a schematic, perspective representation;

FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the contact glass from FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a non-combined, other variant of the contact glassaccording to the invention;

FIG. 4 shows a combined, further variant of the contact glass withclick-type connection between the base body and attachment body;

FIG. 5 shows a contact glass with an applied, gel-type material foradapting the refractive index, before the combination;

FIG. 6 shows the contact glass from FIG. 5 after the combination;

FIG. 7 shows a sectional view of the contact glass from FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 shows the contact glass from FIG. 6 placed on an eye;

FIG. 9 shows a contact glass, placed on an eye, with an attachment bodyhaving a scleral ring;

FIG. 10 shows a section, illustrated in an enlarged fashion, of thecontact glass from FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 shows a contact glass, placed on an eye, with a base body havinga mirror; and

FIG. 12 shows the contact glass from FIG. 11, seen from above.

Identical parts are provided in principle in the figures with identicalreference numerals.

Ways of Implementing the Invention

A few preferred variants of the invention are to be explained in moredetail with the aid of the figures.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective, schematic representation of a contact glass1 according to the invention for examining the interior of an eye. Itcomprises a base body 2 and an attachment body 3 that are illustrated ina combined fashion. The contact glass 1 is designed to be rotationallysymmetrical relative to the rotation axis 4. A longitudinal sectionthrough the contact glass 1 is illustrated in FIG. 2, the plane ofsection containing the rotation axis 4 and dividing the contact glass 1into two identical halves.

The base body 2 combined with the attachment body 3 forms a contactglass 1 in this case. When combined, it could just as well also form atonometer measuring member that is placed on the eye under a specificpressure. The intraocular pressure can subsequently be determined fromthe measurable deformation of the surface of the eye and the pressure.Where this is sensible, the following description of the figures is alsoaccordingly to be understood as a description of devices for measuringthe intraocular pressure, in the case of which devices the base body isto be interpreted as a tonometer measuring member.

On its top side, the base body 2 has a plane, in this case circular,surface 5 preferably running perpendicular to the rotation axis 4. Thelikewise circular contact surface 6.1 of the base body 2 is locatedopposite the plane surface 5. On its top side, the attachment body 3likewise has a once again circular contact surface 6.2, and on itsunderside it has a likewise circular touch surface 7. Both the base body2 and the attachment body 3 are produced from an optically transparentmaterial such as, for example, glass or from appropriate plastics suchas, for example, Plexiglass, such that they are transparent to light andpermit viewing through the body.

So that it is possible for the contact glass to be used even without ameans to be introduced between the contact surfaces 6.1, 6.2 for indexmatching, that is to say adapting the refractive indices of the variousmaterials, the contact surfaces 6.1, 6.2 are ground with a high opticalquality, polished and/or given an antireflection coating. It would bepossible thereby not only to reduce disturbing reflections at thecontact surfaces 6.1, 6.2, but also to achieve a certain adhesion,caused by adhesion between the contact surfaces 6.1, 62, of theattachment body 3 on the base body 2, or vice versa.

In order to examine an eye, the contact glass 1 is placed by a user withthe touch surface 7 on the eye to be examined in the region of the pupilthereof. Thereafter, the user can observe the interior of the eye to beexamined by looking more or less perpendicularly onto the plane surface5 or through the contact glass 1.

Of course, the contact glass 1 can also be used to treat the eye, forexample for laser applications.

FIG. 3 shows a sectional view through another variant of a contactglass, the design of the contact surface 6.3 of the base body 2.1 beingconvex, that is to say cambered inward. Accordingly, the contact surface6.4 of the attachment body 3.1 is of concave design, that is to saycambered outward. The cambers of the two contact surfaces 6.3, 6.4 neednot be exactly the same, but they do correspond approximately.

The attachment body 3.1 is of funnel-shaped design. It has a side wall 8that runs around and covers the base body up to approximately half ofit. As a result, when the contact glass 1.1 is placed on an eye, thebase body 2.1 touches neither the eye itself, nor an eyelid, theeyelashes or any other part of the patient.

A possible variant of how the base body 2.2 can be disconnectivelyconnected to the attachment body 3.2 is illustrated in FIG. 4. Theattachment body 3.2, once again of funnel-shaped design, has at theupper edge of the funnel on the inside a comb-type protuberance 9 thatruns round completely or partially and latches into a correspondingannular groove 10 on the base body 2.2 upon combination with the basebody 2.2. The annular groove 10 can either likewise run round the basebody 2.2 completely, or it can also be interrupted in order, forexample, to prevent the mutual rotation of base body and attachmentbody.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 show a further contact glass 1.3. FIG. 5 shows asectional view of the non-combined contact glass 1.3, FIG. 6 a sectionalview of the combined contact glass 1.3, and FIG. 7 a further sectionalview of the combined contact glass 1.3 along a plane of section 11.1situated perpendicular to the rotation axis 4.

In order to ensure an interspace 12 between the base body 2.3 and theattachment body 3.3, once again of funnel-shaped design, of the combinedcontact glass 1.3, a plurality of elongated webs 13.1, 13.2, 13.3running from top to bottom are provided on the inside of the attachmentbody 3.3. Since longitudinal sections along the plane of section 11.2are involved in FIGS. 5 and 6, only one web 13.1 is visible in eachcase. Its dimensions are selected in such a way that with the contactglass 1.3 combined a specific spacing is achieved between the twocontact surfaces 6.3, 6.4 of the base body 2.3 and the attachment body3.3

The interspace 12 could, of course, also be achieved by applying suchwebs or other protuberances to the outside of the base body 2.3.Alternatively, the inside of the attachment body 3.3 or the outside ofthe base body 2.3 would be provided with corresponding grooves. However,this would have the disadvantage that it would be contaminated morequickly.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show yet a further aspect. Before the combination of basebody 2.3 and attachment body 3.3 to form the contact glass 1.3, it isfirstly possible to apply a specific quantity of an opticallytransparent, deformable, for example gel-type liquid 14 to the contactsurface 6.4. Upon combination of the contact glass 1.3, the liquid 14 iscompressed between base body 2.3 and attachment body 3.3 and distributeduniformly between the two contact surfaces 6.3, 6.4.

If too much liquid 14 is applied, the excess liquid 14 can escape intothe interspace 12. However, not only excess liquid 14, but also the airlocated between the two contact surfaces 6.3, 6.4 can escape into theinterspace 12.

There is thus no longer any air between the base body 2.3 and theattachment body 3.3. If the gel-type liquid 14 is now selected in such away that its refractive index corresponds approximately to therefractive index of the base body 2.3 or attachment body 3.3, thereflection of optical beams at the interfaces between the variousmaterials can, as already mentioned, be reduced. In other words: thecontact surfaces need not have a high optical surface quality. Inparticular, an expensive antireflection coating susceptible to damagecan be eliminated. Of course, the materials used for the base body 2.3and attachment body 3.3 are also selected in such a way that, on the onehand, their refractive index is equal or at least virtually equal, andthis refractive index is approximately equal to the refractive index ofthe eye.

In the case of a refractive index of the eye of approximately 1.33, andof a contact glass with refractive index 1.5, a residual reflection ofapproximately 4 per thousand is reached, residual reflections of up toapproximately 5 per thousand constituting no problem. The gel-typeliquid 14 is selected correspondingly with a refractive index in theregion of approximately 1.3 to 1.7.

A large selection of liquids that can be used for this index matching isavailable. A liquid known in eye treatment is, for example, atwo-percent solution of methylhydroxypropycellulosum with sodiumchloride and benzalconium chloride as preserving agent, known under thename of Methocel 2%.

Instead of using a liquid 14 for the index matching, it is also possibleto use other materials, for example so-called solid gels. As an example,mention may be made of a transparent silicone film of elasticallydeformable thickness that is introduced between the two contact surfacesbefore the combination of the contact glass. In order there, as well, toavoid the inclusion of air between the contact surfaces, the film at thecenter can be raised, for example, or the cambers of the contactsurfaces can be appropriately designed.

FIG. 8 shows a contact glass from FIG. 6 as it is placed on an eye 15.Also illustrated are the two eyelids 16 with the eyelashes 17.

The raised side wall 8 of the attachment body 3.3 prevents the eye 15,the eyelids 16 or the eyelashes 17 coming into contact with the basebody 2.3. That is to say, the base body 2.3 need not be sterilized aftereach use, it suffices to disinfect. Furthermore, the attachment body 3.3can be designed in such a way that it can be sterilized. By contrast, itis less complicated and correspondingly cost effective—since theattachment body 3.3 can be produced in a simple way, for example bymeans of injection molding, from inexpensive materials—to design theattachment body 3.3 as a disposable item that is discarded after beingused once or after a few uses. A multiplicity of known methods and meansare likewise available for the disinfection or sterilization.

FIG. 9 illustrates, once again, the eye 15 with eyelids 16 and eyelashes17, together with a contact glass 1.4 placed on. The latter has the samebase body 2.3 as the contact glass 1.3 from FIG. 8, but anotherattachment body 3.4.

The attachment body 3.4 is fitted with a so-called scleral ring 18. Asillustrated, when the attachment body 3.4 is placed on the eye 15 saidscleral ring is pushed under the eyelids 16 and held firmly in itsposition by the latter. The scleral ring can either run entirely roundthe attachment body, or it is present only in specific regions, forexample in the region of the eyelids 16.

FIG. 10 illustrates an enlarged section of the contact glass 1.3 fromFIG. 8, the gel-type liquid 14 having been omitted for greater clarity.It shows the different cambers of the various boundary surfaces of thecontact glass 1.3. The contact surface 6.3 of the base body 2.3 has, forexample, a smaller radius of curvature than the contact surface 6.4. Itis further to be seen that the touch surface 7 of the attachment body3.3 has two differently curved regions 7.1 and 7.2 for the purpose ofresting optimally on an eye. The central regions 7.1 with the smallerradius of curvature, which corresponds approximately to the radius ofcurvature of the contact surface 6.4, is conceived for positioning overthe region of the pupil of the eye, which is somewhat raised as a rule.The outer regions 7.2 with a larger radius of curvature comescorrespondingly to be situated on the less strongly curved regionsaround the pupil.

However, it is to be stressed that many other arrangements with otherradii of curvature or with centers of curvature selected otherwise arealso possible. Thus, for example, the radius of curvature of the contactsurface 6.3 can be greater than that of the contact surface 6.4.Furthermore, one or both contact surfaces 6.3, 6.4 could also be of flatdesign, or have a curvature in the opposite direction.

FIGS. 11 and 12 show a contact glass 1.5 placed on the eye 15, with theattachment body from FIG. 8. The base body 2.4 illustrated here has,however, a multiplicity of mirrors 19.1, 19.2, 19.3 positioned laterallyin the base body 2.4, only the mirror 19.1 being visible in thesectional illustration in FIG. 11. The mirrors 19.1, 19.2, 19.3 are eachdesigned for examining different lateral regions of the interior of theeye 15 and are correspondingly differently shaped or have differentangles of inclination to the rotation axis 4. The mirrors 19.1, 19.2,19.3 are produced, for example, by grinding the base body 2.4 plane inthe desired region with the corresponding angle of inclination, theincidence of extraneous light being prevented with the aid of a sleeve(not illustrated) of the base body 2.4.

FIG. 11 further illustrates a light beam 20 that enters the contactglass 1.5 parallel to the rotation axis 4 and is deflected at the mirror19.1 such that it is directed through the gel-type liquid 14 and theattachment body 3.3 into a lateral region of the eye 15. Such a lightbeam 20 penetrating into the eye 15 is used, for example, to illuminatethe interior of the eye 15. If, however, the light beam 20 runs in thedirection illustrated out of the eye through the contact glass, it canbe observed by the user.

Not considered in the course of the light beam 20 is the refraction atthe various boundary surfaces of the eye 15 and the contact glass 1.5,respectively, therebetween. To be precise, depending on the geometryselected for the constituents of the contact glass 1.5, it is alsopossible to achieve various optical effects such as a specificmagnification, or else different fields of view inside the eye 15.

In order to examine completely the lateral inner region, observable withthe aid of the mirror 19.1, of the eye 15, the base body 2.4 need onlybe rotated about its rotation axis 4. The attachment body 3.3 remainsplaced on the eye 15 without itself being moved, and can therefore alsonot cause any injury on the eye 15. The liquid 14 facilitates thisrotation of the base body 2.4 in the attachment body 3.3.

It may be stated in summary that the invention permits a multiplicity ofdevices for examining and/or treating eyes to be combined with the aidof a few base bodies and a few types of attachment bodies, instead ofusing a device specifically provided for the purpose of eachexamination/treatment. In addition, because it does not come intocontact with the eye during examination and/or treatment, the base bodycan be made from a material that need not be sterilizable, and iscorrespondingly less expensive and easier to process.

1. A device for examining and/or treating an eye, comprising: a basebody; and an attachment body combinable with the base body, the basebody having a first contact surface and the attachment body having asecond contact surface and a touch surface, the device being configuredto be placed on the eye with the touch surface of the attachment body,wherein the touch surface is positioned opposite the second contactsurface, the second contact surface has substantially the same shape asthe first contact surface, and the attachment body is combinable withthe base body so that the contact surfaces are situated substantiallyparallel to one another.
 2. The device as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe base body and the attachment body can be rotated relative to oneanother.
 3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the base body andthe attachment body can be rotated relative to one another about anoptical axis.
 4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least oneof the base body and the attachment body has at least one distancingelement for maintaining a minimum spacing between the base body and theattachment body, the at least one distancing element is positionedoutside at least one of the first surface and the second contactsurface.
 5. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least one ofthe base body and the attachment body has a plurality of protuberancesfor maintaining the minimum spacing between the base body and theattachment body.
 6. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the devicehas an optically transparent, deformable intermediate material betweenthe first and second contact surfaces.
 7. The device as claimed in oneof claims 1 to 4, wherein when the device is placed on the eye of apatient, only the attachment body is in contact with the patient.
 8. Thedevice as claimed in claim 7, wherein the attachment body is held on thebase body via one of a positive connection that can be disconnected anda non-positive connection that can be disconnected.
 9. The device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the base body is configured to enable anophthalmological examination andlor treatment of the eye.
 10. The deviceas claimed in claim 9, further comprising: a mirror for examining and/ortreating one of a lateral inner region and a chamber angle of the eye.11. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the attachment body has acontact surface substantially adapted to a surface region of the eye toenable the attachment body to be placed on the eye.
 12. The device asclaimed in claim 11, wherein the contact surface has edge regions whichcan be pushed under at least one eyelid of the patient.
 13. The deviceas claimed in claim 11, further comprising: a plurality of attachmentbodies combinable with the base body, wherein each attachment body isindividually packaged and housed in a container ready for use.
 14. Thedevice as claimed in claim 11, where the attachment body can bedisinfected or sterilized.
 15. The device as claimed in claim 13,wherein the attachment body is packed in a sterile fashion, and ishoused in the container so that an attachment body is combinable withthe base body without holding contact of the attachment body and with anoptically transparent, deformable, intermediate material introducedbetween the base body and the attachment body.